The Pelicans recently sent out an email promoting next year’s season tickets and there’s no mention of Zion whatsoever. He’s been away from the team with an injury for months now, and reports state that he’s not invested in their project.

Moreover, former NBA player JJ Redick recently called him out for not even reaching out to CJ McCollum after being traded to New Orleans. Redick called him a ‘detached teammate’ and said he showed a lack of basic decorum.

CJ McCollum Urges People To Leave Zion Williamson Alone

That’s why McCollum— who started the story by claiming that he had no idea of Zion’s status or whereabouts— urged people to just let the young star be, stating that he’s going to reach out to him eventually:

(Transcript viaOleh Kosel of The Bird Writes)

“Leave the young fella alone, man. He’s trying to rehab in peace, right, and get himself ready to get back. We spoke and I’ll speak to him next week to catch up with him. He’s a very talented player and he’s going through a lot.

And you guys have put him on the spot, on the daily. I think he’s just trying to recover on his own time and really focus on his rehab. I’ve been injured before so I know what it’s like — you feel disconnected, you feel away, you wish you could be out there.

Mentally & physically, it’s tough on the body & then you’ve got to read about yourself all the time. I know it’s frustrating. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. We’re going to get along very well and continue to build our relationship. I’ll be here for him when he needs me.”

McCollum has a reputation for being a standout player and a class act as a teammate, so this doesn’t come as a surprise. As for Zion, there’s a lot of noise right now and not a single thing sounds good.

The Blazers traded McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans on February 8, resulting in the end of an era for Portland. He got off to a great personal start in his new team, averaging 28.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

While the Blazers have been doing fine despite he left, Lillard has admitted he is yet to get used to seeing his former teammate with another uniform. Here’s what Dame had to say.

Damian Lillard opens up on the CJ McCollum trade

“You get to a point where maybe something has run it’s course,” Lillard said in the next episode of The Draymond Green Show, as quoted by Clutchpoints. “You gotta re-route yourself and try to figure out what’s the best thing, what’s the best angle to take at this point.

“That —- was tough to deal with, bruh, I ain’t gonna lie. You know when you know something could be coming and you know that it’s a possibility, but when it happens it’s different, like damn! And I’ve kinda been stuck in that space the whole time.

“Like I’ve been watching every game in New Orleans like damn, he really ain’t coming back. It’s over. That’s kind of where I’ve been at. I still kinda haven’t even really moved past it because I ain’t have to play. The end of an era, bruh.”

As he said, the fact that he has to see this big change from the sidelines probably makes it even harder for Lillard. However, maybe this move is just for the best. Dame and the Blazers must move on in order to fight for the ultimate goal.

This situation remains one of the biggest topics in the league as the future of the former first overall pick looks really uncertain, with the organization unwilling to let him leave easily. Over the last few hours, however, rumors of a possible trade were all over the news.

The Portland Trail Blazers have emerged as a potential destination for Simmons as reports claimed Damian Lillard was interested in teaming up with him, something Dame eventually denied. Besides, it looks like the Sixers were unaware of the Blazers’ interest, if it ever existed.

NBA Rumors: Would the Sixers consider a Simmons-McCollum trade?

Ben Simmons’ conflict with the Sixers has reached a point of no return. The Australian is unwilling to play but the franchise is not making things easy either, as it has demanding conditions to accept any trade.

That’s why the Sixers would not accept CJ McCollum in exchange of Simmons. Kyle Neubeck of the PhillyVoice reportsthat Philadelphia haven’t received any call from Portland and aren’t interested in McCollum either.

(Transcript via PhillyVoice)

“A bit of important reporting we will try not to bury in a recap — a source familiar with the situation spoke to PhillyVoice on Monday evening and said the Sixers have had no recent discussions with Portland regarding a CJ McCollum trade, and a package centered around the Blazers’ guard is not currently of interest to the Sixers.

“The Sixers are expected to continue dialogue with teams across the league about potential opportunities as December 15th nears closer and more trade scenarios become available league-wide.”

Although the current situation is not good for anyone, as Simmons’ value continues to drop, the Sixers have never looked desperate to resolve it. Now, they’ll probablywait to make the right move from December 15 onwards, when players who signed contracts in the offseason can be traded.

Curry’s shooting ability is unprecedented and unmatched. He can pull up from – literally – everywhere on the court, and sometimes it feels like a three-pointer is just another layup or free-throw for him.

That’s why Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum recently discussed his play on his podcast, going as far as to call him the best pure scorer in the NBA because of his shooting and versatility.

CJ McCollum Says Stephen Curry Is The Best Pure Scorer In The World

“I think Curry is the best pure scorer in the league right now, as it stands, because of how he scores. Moves without the ball, he can score in iso situations, he finishes well around the rim. He’s a 95 percent free throw shooter, so virtually automatic when he gets to the line. And he’s just a wizard. He’s someone you have to look for at all times. He does things and you literally think, like, how is that possible?” McCollum started.

McCollum Believes Curry Changed The Game For The Better And Also For The Worse

Then again, CJ doesn’t think that everything about Curry is good, as he’s made younger hoopers believe that they can play the way he can, and that’s not always good or smart basketball:

“I think that he has changed the game for the better, but he has also changed the game for the worse, because a lot of kids are trying to replicate some of the things that he’s doing, and some of that stuff just isn’t virtually possible for kids. You have to get the reps in, you have to really practice your game, and as George Hill once said in the Finals, he said sometimes he just throws it up there and it appears as if God is just dropping it into the basket, which is very, very accurate at times,” he concluded.

There’s only one Stephen Curry. The shots he takes would beterrible shots for 99% of the players, so I get McCollum’s point. Then again, you just can’t take anything away from him at this point.